Railfan Technology > IFRANVIEW Problem for Screenshots

In addition to reloading MSTS, Windows XP, and everything else, I once again downloaded IFRANVIEWER, which I've found to be a very user-friendly utility (and very flexible in that in addition to managing image files, it can play samples of .wav sound files).

I do not recall doing anything different this time when I downloaded it, but I have a new problem with it.

In the past, when I took a screenshot in MSTS, the resulting file size, even without compressing it, was in the neighborhood of 200 to 250 kB. When I got MSTS reloaded, I made some new screenshots, and, everything seemed as it was before. However, when I tried to upload one of these new screenshots, it was in excess of NINE HUNDRED kB! And, the single file limit for an upload to Trainorders is 300 kB (or, 900 kB for a max of three files in one post). I noticed that you can "compress the IFRANVIEW images to save disk space", so, I tried that. This only got the images down to the 550 kB range--still too big for a Trainorders upload.

I did notice that my old screenshots remained at their former size, 200 to 250 kB. So the program didn't increase the size of all my MSTS screenshots--it is just the new ones that I am taking.

I know there is a simple adjustment, somewhere in the options. After fiddling with it for over an hour, and getting no results, I thought, "What the heck--somebody on Railfan Electronics probably has the answer--hopefully."

I'm all ears!!!

There are a number of things that could have resulted in a change. The factor that affects file size the most is the number of pixels in the image. You can try to resize the image.

Give us some info on the file, like the number of pixels wide and high, the color depth, and file type. That gives a start on how to attack the problem

run8 Wrote:
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> There are a number of things that could have
> resulted in a change. The factor that affects
> file size the most is the number of pixels in the
> image. You can try to resize the image.
>
> Give us some info on the file, like the number of
> pixels wide and high, the color depth, and file
> type. That gives a start on how to attack the
> problem


They are IFRANVIEW .JPG files with a 24 bit depth, 768 X 412 pixels. MSTS Screenshots.

I've never had a problem with IFRANVIEW--the MSTS screenshots, as I said, always came out around 225 KB with these same settings. Why would using the same settings, apparently, cause the same exact type of image files, from the exact same program, more than TRIPLE in size??? Even COMPRESSED, an option that I've never had a need to use--why--they are still more than DOUBLE the size of my old screenshots before I reloaded IFRANVIEW. Something is WAY out of whack.

I'm not at all an expert on this, so, somebody is going to have to walk me through the basics.

Though I thought that the IFRANVIEW utility used .JPG files as the default--I was wrong.

Upon further examination, I found that the program was saving images as "WINDOWS BITMAP FILES"--simply a different format, but, one which makes for a MUCH denser, and, larger file.

Interesting--being able to save files as bitmap files MIGHT prove useful later on down the road in other applications!!!

Red - another Freebie that may help you out is here - actually there are several different freebies, but the one I meant is the resizer http://www.faststone.org/index.htm
Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands

shortliner Wrote:
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> Red - another Freebie that may help you out is
> here - actually there are several different
> freebies, but the one I meant is the resizer
> Shortliner(Jack)away up here in the Highlands


Thanks--I'll be sure to check that out!!!